1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to personal cooling and heating systems.
2. Description of Related Art
Heat exhaustion is caused by exposure to high temperatures and is often accompanied by dehydration, for example during outdoor athletic activities. When not treated, heat exhaustion can progress to heat stroke—a medical emergency that can cause damage to the brain and other organs and, in some cases, death. When a person exhibits heat-related symptoms, cooling strategies must be performed as soon as possible to reduce the person's core body temperature. Furthermore, preemptive cooling strategies may be taken to maintain a person's core body temperature within a healthy range to help prevent heat exhaustion. Such preemptive cooling strategies may also boost athletic performance.
One cooling strategy for preventing or treating heat exhaustion includes wearing cooling garments. For example, some cooling vests include pockets for ice packs. A user can remove the ice packs and cool them in a refrigerator or on ice, then re-insert the ice packs into the pockets. These vests tend to be loose and bulky and, as a result, cannot be worn during athletic activities. In addition, because these vests tend to be loose and bulky, they do not conform to the user's body to maximize heat transfer between the user's warm body and the ice packs. In another example, newer cooling vests include sealed compartments with water or gel. These vests are also often made of material that conforms better to the user's body compared to the loose pocket vests. These vests are placed in a refrigerator or on ice to cool the internal water or gel, then worn by the user. Both of the above examples provide passive cooling systems that are no longer useful once the gel or ice returns to room temperature. As a result, during outdoor activities, they are limited to a single, short-term use until they can be placed back on ice or in a refrigerator to be re-cooled.
Active cooling systems, on the other hand, may provide longer cooling benefits compared to passive cooling systems. For example, some active cooling systems require separate cooling mechanisms or components that must be attached to the garment by piping or plugs to cool the garment, either by circulating a cooling fluid through the garment or by cooling electric coils throughout the garment. As a result, these garments are difficult to use during athletic activities, such as running. In addition, active cooling systems require a power supply, such as batteries. Furthermore, many active cooling systems do not maintain cooling effects after the system is shut down. As a result, they must be continually “on” to help cool down the user. Accordingly, these garments may be difficult to use during long-term outdoor activities because the batteries need to be connected to a generator, such as a car battery, for recharging or additional replacement batteries must be carried, adding bulk to the garment.
So as to reduce the complexity and length of the Detailed Specification, and to fully establish the state of the art in certain areas of technology, Applicants herein expressly incorporate by reference all of the following materials identified in each numbered paragraph below.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,585,746 describes a vest with sealed chamber elements filled with liquid, gel, or solid material that can be heated or cooled to moderate an individual's body temperature.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,373,969 describes a personal cooling or warming system requiring a pump to circulate cooling fluid from a separate conditioning unit through the garment.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010/0281883 describes a self-contained heating or cooling garment with a fluid pump that circulates fluid throughout the garment. The pump is powered by a battery contained in the pocket of the garment, which may be recharged via a car battery or solar power.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2010/0107657 describes a vest with heat pipes that plug into a heat capacitor and a separate battery back contained in a pocket of the vest.
U.S. Patent Publication No. 2007/0199124 describes a cooling vest that uses the covering of another jacket and creates a plenum between the wearer's body and the jacket by blowing air into the jacket.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,281,609 describes an air circulation pad, meant to be worn under or between garments, including tubing with holes for delivering air to and exhausting air from the wearer's skin.
U.S. Pat. No. 2005/0246826 describes a cooling garment meant to be worn under a vest, including ribs forming air channels and an air exhaust fan.
Applicants believe that the material incorporated above is “non-essential” in accordance with 37 CFR 1.57, because it is referred to for purposes of indicating the background of the invention or illustrating the state of the art. However, if the Examiner believes that any of the above-incorporated material constitutes “essential material” within the meaning of 37 CFR 1.57(c)(1)-(3), Applicants will amend the specification to expressly recite the essential material that is incorporated by reference as allowed by the applicable rules.